Police Service Commission Lists Ways to Reform Force
Meets with EU, ECOWAS
Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
The Chairman, Police Service Commission (PSC), Alhaji Musiliu Smith, yesterday listed funding, quality weaponry, information communication and technology (ICT) training and development among others as requirements that would usher in an efficient and effective police force.
At a meeting with the European Union(EU) delegation to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Smith, a retired Inspector-General of Police, called for adequate funding for the Nigeria Police Force to ensure a successful police reforms in the country.
A statement by the PSC said the delegation (police expert mission) led by Mr. Hendrickson Dyean, came to find out how the commission, with its oversight constitutional responsibility over the police, was making inputs into the presidential police reform roadmap and how donors could also support the programme.
The chairman noted that adequate funding of the police as well as the PSC, the statutory civilian oversight body of the Nigeria Police Force will enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the police establishment.
He also noted that police reforms should also include training and retraining of officers, provision of decent and comfortable barrack accommodation, effective mobility (transportation) and provision of adequate quality weaponry.
He said it should also accommodate efficient and effective communication gadgets, uncompromising recruitment process and good Police and community relations amongst others.
The PSC chairman maintained that if all these requirements were put in place, crime prevention response rate by the police will be swift, effective and efficient.
The leader of the EU delegation, who was also in company of Spirlet Nevd-Angic (SSR expert) and Kemi Okenyodo (Founder/Executive Director) Rule of Law and Empowerment Initiative, had promised to continue to partner with the commission and support its efforts in the presidential police reform roadmap so as to improve the capacity of the Nigeria Police Force in handling the disturbing rate of insecurity in the country.
